


hard to dance with the devil on your back

by their_dark_materials



Category: Emmerdale, Roblivion - Fandom, robron
Genre: Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden are Parents, Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden are loved up idiots, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst and Feels, Asexual Liv, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Gerry is a big ol' puppy, Liv Flaherty & Robert Sugden Bonding, M/M, No Seb, Or Rebecca, Sort Of, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-13 13:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13571433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/their_dark_materials/pseuds/their_dark_materials
Summary: Here’s the thing most people don’t know about Robert Jacob Sugden: He’s very, very superstitious.Or, a domestic, slightly supernatural AU featuring Aaron, Robert, Liv, and Gerry navigating life as a family [Based on a Tumblr prompt. Set in the future.]





	hard to dance with the devil on your back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mow/gifts).



Here’s the thing most people don’t know about Robert Jacob Sugden: He’s very, _very_ superstitious.

And he doesn’t just adhere to regular superstitions, like knocking on wood for luck and not walking under ladders. No. He _also_ insists on cutting both ends off newly-purchased loaves of bread ( _“It’s not like you and Liv eat the ends anyway!”_ ), and chasing away sparrows ( _“I just don’t like them, okay?”_ ). He salutes magpies' wives ( _“What? It’s just a bit of harmless fun!”_ ), and makes them go to the park on the first day of autumn so he can catch a falling leaf ( _“I don’t say anything when_ you _wear those ratty old pants you insist help your team win!”_ )

Of course, Aaron would find all this absolutely hilarious if the madman he calls a husband didn’t make such a big deal any time he tries to get him to skip even _one_ of the practices dictated by these weird beliefs he’s seemed to have collected over the years. (Honestly, the younger man doesn’t remember him being _this_ paranoid when they’d first started hooking up three years ago — though that might have been because they’d been a _bit_ preoccupied with other, more _urgent_ things at the time.)

But he loves the crazy idiot and so he goes along with _everything_ without a single complaint. So do Liv and Gerry for that matter — despite the _occasional_ grumble. It’s like all three of them have a silent pact to support the slightly more irrational member of their little family without any further questions.

(If anything, Aaron would argue that both teens actually _enjoy_ all the many little rituals Robert’s superstitions have added to their lives, enriching them in the way that only strange family traditions passed down from generation to generation can. And _he_ should know. He _is_ a Dingle after all.)

Therefore his only real complaint arises from the fact that Robert always seems to double down on all these beliefs — even the ones he’s slightly more lax about — after he’s had a particularly scary experience. And considering that their new main “family activity” _is_ watching horror movies together, it’s something that they’ve all had to experience at least once a week this month.

He’s tried suggesting other movies, but Robert and Liv have bonded over their shared appetites for the weird and frightening, making them a reliable joint voting bloc. (Gerry is absolutely no help considering all his suggestions seem to be animated movies — which Aaron actually doesn’t mind — and romcoms, which they _all_ shoot down.)

Besides, if he’s being _really_ honest with himself, he kind of _enjoys_ the experience that is watching a horror movie with Robert Sugden. It’s been one of the more pleasant discoveries of their almost one-year-old marriage thus far. So, as far as he’s concerned, the older man’s heightened behaviour is just a small price to pay for the perk of having him pressed into his side, their hands clasped together under the big quilted blanket he suspects was bought for just _this_ kind of occasion, while the blonde non-stop whispers in his ear about what the protagonist should _not_ be doing. (Sometimes Aaron finds himself watching Robert get more and more animated and bouncing at the edge of his seat, instead of whatever’s happening on screen, a decision he has yet to regret in the slightest.)

:::::

 

“You know, it’s okay to be scared,” he tells him, one night as they both prepare to go to sleep. “Whatever it is you’re so nervous of, you can tell me.”

He’s already under his covers, but Robert’s walking around the room and making sure both their shoes are faced _away_ from the bed and shutting the wardrobe door — though he does leave the sliding bathroom door open _just_ a crack, a concession to Aaron who’d blown up in annoyance after he'd woken up to go pee and had walked into the door for the _fifth_ night in a row.

“I’m _not_ scared,” Robert replies, giving Aaron a pointed look.

“And then what do you call all _this_?” The younger man asks, not missing that his husband hasn’t really answered the next statement. 

They both know what he’s referring to, but this is really the first time either of them has broached the subject.

“They’re just little things I like to do… No big deal. Thought you loved how particular I am,” Robert fires back, pulling back both duvets on his side of the bed. (He’s been given his own extra blanket after hogging the covers one too many times. Aaron’s body may run hot, but he still needs warmth.)

“No, I married ya _in spite_ of how _annoyin’_ you are,” Aaron replies, still awake despite having closed his eyes. It’s clear from the grin on his face that he doesn't mean what he's said. 

“Didn’t hear you complain about how annoying I am this morning.”

He can feel the bed move beside him as Robert’s weight settles on it. A few seconds later Robert’s bedside lamp is off.

“Had my mouth full didn’t I?” Aaron teases into the dark. “Or would you have preferred I just keep talking?”

There’s some more shifting to his right, as Robert slides closer. A second later his arm is draped across Aaron’s chest, the weight and warmth of it deeply comforting.

“If you’re still trying to talk while I’m kissing you, I’d say we have bigger problems.”

Half of it is mumbled into the pillow, Robert clearly already on his way to Dreamland. But he's close enough that the younger man can hear what he says. Aaron doesn’t reply, just smiles.

A minute later he whispers, “Good night Mr. Dingle.”

A few seconds later, he gets an even drowsier, “Night Mr. Sugden.”

He threads his fingers in between Robert’s much slender ones and brings his hand to his mouth where he kisses the palm, before giving it a squeeze.

The response he gets a rather undignified snore. 

:::::

 

“Thanks… for coming… with me…” Robert kisses his way down Aaron’s neck as he lays atop him. Both men are crammed into the backseat of the older man’s car, having stopped in a lay-by on their way back from some boring business lunch Nicola forced them to attend in the next village over. “Promise I’ll… make it… worth your… while.”

“Don’t think I’ll forgive ya _just yet_ -” Aaron lets out a groan, as his husband targets the exact spot between his shoulder and his neck that he _knows_ drives him wild.

“Just name your price,” Robert says, bringing his head back up to look Aaron in the eye. The younger man can see his own naked want reflected back in them. He smiles seductively.

“Well… It _could_ be fun to take it _outside_ ,” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Always fancied havin’ ya against a tree.”

His voice gets all low and growly as he says the second part. He’s rewarded with Robert’s raised eyebrows.

“Thought Aaron Dingle didn’t _do_ sex outside,” Robert’s voice also takes on a low quality and he’s got a cheeky smile on his face — a clear sign that he’s not only considered it but that he’s probably going to say yes. (Aaron’s learned a _long_ time ago that there’s very little his husband would ever deny him when it comes to sex, something he’s not above taking advantage of.)

He lifts his head forward, his beard scratching against Robert’s cheek as he whispers into the older man’s ear, “Yeah… But Aaron Dingle- _Sugden_ does.”

The way Robert’s hips buck in response is just confirmation that he’ll be getting his wish.

When he lays his head back onto the seat, he sees the other man’s expression can barely contain his lust for him — enough so that Robert doesn’t say anything, instead just leaning in to kiss him. The younger man responds with equal abandon.

They _finally_ break apart when Robert’s hips twitch again, the bulge in his pants eager to be relieved. Aaron understands perfectly well how he feels.

The blonde pulls back into a straddling position, preparing to exit the car and Aaron acutely feels the loss of all that body heat. Though perpetually sensitive to the cold, Robert can be a one-man inferno when he wants to.

“Alright, Mr. Dingle-Sugden. Let’s do this.” 

:::::

 

The road they’re parked beside is one of those little-used country backroads, so Aaron doesn’t feel _too_ bad leaving their car beside it. But still, Robert is his typical self, not willing to be rushed through his checks and rituals, even _with_ the reward of sex with Aaron awaiting him on the other end.

So the younger man stands there in the slightly damp English weather, holding a familiar-looking blanket that is doing wonders for his memory, and even _more_ for his imagination as he checks out Robert’s ass while he surveys the car one last time.

For all his teasing about Robert’s wardrobe and clothing choices, the one thing he can’t fault is the man’s penchant for fitted trousers (and suits) — and the strain against his own crotch would agree.

Finally, Robert turns around, a glint of excitement in his eyes and a look of hunger on his face.

“So… Tell me about this _tree_.”

:::::

 

They find a clearing in the woods and don’t waste any time getting started.

Aaron tosses the blanket aside and backs Robert up against a sturdy-looking elm, his hands undoing his belt as his lips attack Robert’s mouth before moving to _his_ neck for a change…

Only a few seconds later he realises that the man he’s trying to pleasure has gone unresponsive. So he stops what he’s doing and he looks up at Robert’s face only to see a look of sheer terror.

A chill comes over him and he looks behind him to see what has his husband so spooked. It takes him a second, but he notices it. Their blanket is laying quite close to a faerie ring, one of the fibres just a hair’s breadth away from the raised edges of the grassy circle.

“We should go,” Robert says slowly, any trace of arousal having left his body in the last minute. Instead, he’s starting to tremble just a little.

Aaron almost argues but when he turns around he sees that Robert still looks spooked. Not wanting to upset him any further, he nods and turns his attention back to his hands, which are re-fastening the belt he’d _just_ taken off. He swallows deeply, attempting to calm himself down — though it isn’t too much of a problem considering the surge of worry currently pulsing through him.

When he’s done, he steps back, moving to retrieve their abandoned blanket, but Robert cries out, “No!”

Aaron’s head whips back around only to be greeted with the look of panic on the other man’s face.

“I- I can get it,” he says with no explanation.

A second later he moves, brushing past his husband and inching his way closer to the botanical oddity, keeping his eye on it, like it may spring up at him, the entire time.

Aaron just waits there, not wanting to add to the stress of the situation.

When the blanket is finally clasped in his hands, Robert backs away quickly, before turning to the younger man and holding out his hand.

“We should go.”

Aaron takes his hand and nods, allowing himself to be led out of the woods and into the car.

He doesn’t say anything about how tight Robert’s grip is. 

:::::

 

They’re still a short while from the village when Robert finally breaks the silence.

“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

“I don’t want ya to make it up to me,” Aaron responds, bursting with unanswered questions and concern for his husband. “Robert, I just want ya to tell me what’s going on. We’re married now. You can’t be keeping things like why _that_ _thing_ scared you, secret from me.”

Robert doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. Just keeps his mind on the road. And then, “It was the faerie ring. They say if you pass through one, you… you die young.”

Of all the explanations the other man was expecting, this wasn’t it.

“And you think my just stepping near one could cause me to _die_ ,” he wants to laugh as he says it, but he can tell from Robert’s tone and body language that the blonde well and truly believes this. So instead he takes a deep breath and thinks of how he can best remedy the situation. “Okay then, tell me. What can we do to prevent that?”

Robert looks at him, clearly confused by the request. Of all the reactions _he_ might have been expecting, _this_ wasn’t it.

“For starters, you can start wearing that medallion I gave you for your birthday.”

“I’ll put it on when I get home,” Aaron responds, no argument in his voice. He can tell it’s working. Robert’s body seems to be relaxing, the tension flowing away. “Anything else?”

Robert glances at him again. Then he reaches out with his left hand. “And you can let me make it up to you.”

“Yeah… I’ll think about it,” Aaron replies jokingly, before intertwining his fingers with Robert's. “Was really lookin’ forward to that tree.”

He’s never been more relieved to hear his husband laugh.

:::::

 

“When did you start believin’ in all this stuff?” He asks Robert as they lay in bed later that night. He doesn't mean to always bring up any issues between them near bedtime, but he finds that the other man is always more willing to answer him under the cover of darkness; as if the truth of whatever he's experiencing can't hurt him if it can't seem him. (Aaron also just likes intimacy it affords them.)

“I dunno. Just always did, I suppose,” the older man replies.

“But it has to start _somewhere_ ,” Aaron presses.

“Well I guess it was when I was really little,” Robert says after a short while. “Mum would always tell me little stories about stuff like that. Like why she’d draw a four leaf clover on the back of a lotto ticket, or make me make a wish _every_ time I blew a candle out.”

Even in the dark Aaron can hear the warmth in his husband’s voice as he shares another memory of Sarah. That’s one of the other perks of their marriage this time around. Robert’s a lot more open.

“I guess I just can’t believe my luck sometimes.”

If Aaron was tired and ready to sleep a second _before_ , he’s wide awake now, filled with nothing but unfiltered  _lust_ for the other man. ( _Another_ benefit of these late night talks is that when it starts devolving into sex, which it often does, there aren't many hindrances.) 

He turns to his side and starts to lean forward, months of practice allowing him to easily make out the shape of the man laying down next to him.

“You’re not the only one.”

Despite his initial surprise, Robert responds to the kiss with plenty of enthusiasm. They don’t actually sleep until an hour later. 

:::::

 

“How about camping?” Robert suggests. He tosses some of the loose tea leaves he’d gathered after accidentally spilling them, over his left shoulder, before bringing over mugs of fresh brew for both him and Aaron. He places one in front of his husband before taking a seat next to him at the dining table. “That could be fun.”

(The younger man absentmindedly flips the fork he's holding to use as a stirrer for the hot drink, but the older man swats his hand away, holding out a teaspoon instead, which Aaron takes without any complaint.)

“Camping? I’m not 10,” Liv argues, sitting across from him. “Why can’t we go somewhere else, like Spain, like normal people?”

It’s a month after the faerie ring incident and the teen is a few weeks into her summer holidays, but she’s been bugging both of them about going on some kind of vacation.

“First of all, what makes you think we’re _not_ normal?” Aaron teases. “Second of all, you’ve never been camping with _me_.”

Knowing she won’t get anywhere with her half-brother, she turns to face her brother-in-law. “Him, I get. But what about you? You love your stuff way too much to spend a day without it.”

“But I love Aaron and _you lot_ more, don’t I?”

Every now and then the older man will reply to one of her digs at him with earnest emotion. But as much as she scoffs at it, Aaron can tell she secretly likes these little declarations, because her cheeks turn pink and she can never bring herself to fire back with her usual feistiness. (He hasn’t asked Robert but he suspects that this is his spouse’s way of repeatedly making up for how much he’d hurt her two summers ago.)

“Even me?” Gerry pipes up from next to Robert, unabashed joy in his voice and on his face.

“Yeah, even _you_.” 

Robert’s reluctant-but-teasing tone does nothing to put a damper on the young man’s excitement. His grin only gets wider. He turns to Liv. “I’ve never really been campin’ on purpose, before. I reckon it could be fun.”

Liv still doesn’t look too convinced, but she still nods her agreement.

“Fine. But I get my own tent. Not sharing one with _this one_ ,” she gestures at Gerry. “He’s always fartin’ in his sleep.”

“Great. I’ll go ahead and book us a couple of rooms at Blackpool,” Robert says, tossing out their surprise as if it’s no big deal.

Liv and Gerry both snap to attention at that, unaware that both men had secretly decided on this vacation plan the night before.

“I’m sorry, did we forget to tell ya?” Aaron grins. “We’re goin’ campin’ _on_ the way to a one-week stay at a seaside resort.” 

:::::

 

“Come on, _pretty please_?” Liv holds up a printed out map that she’d been waving in Aaron’s face a minute ago. “It’s on the way there!”

“You’ll have to ask Robert,” he deflects, checking on the pasta sauce again. It’s days like this that he’s grateful that he has a husband to share some of these co-parenting duties.

“Ask Robert what?” The man in question asks as he wipes his feet and walks through the front door of the Mill, taking care to shut it behind him.

“Can we camp on Shades of Death Road?” Liv asks almost immediately, focusing all her attention on him.

“What’s Shades Of Death Road?” Robert asks, pausing to take the paper she’s holding out in front of her. He pauses by the spiral staircase to read it.

“This road a few miles from here,” she says, her eyes glittering with excitement. “It’s on the way to Blackpool _and_ it has a proper campsite nearby and everythin’. People say it's _haunted_.”

“So I’m guessing _The Blair Witch Project_ taught you nothing then?” Robert asks.

She gives him a pointed look. “You know that’s just a movie right?”

She then adds, “Come on. It’ll be a cool story I can tell all my friends. Besides, it’s not _really_ haunted… Or _is it_?”

“So living with _us_ isn’t a cool enough story is it?” Robert jokes at her.

He’s met with the unimpressed face of a teenager in response.

“Alright,” he acquiesces, surprising Aaron. “We can go camping on your ghost road.”

“Thank you!!!” In her excitement, Liv actually hugs the blonde man before running up the stairs to tell Gerry. Robert gazes after her fondly.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Aaron tells him, switching off the gas and lifting the lid to check the salt one last time.

“I know, but I wanted to,” Robert replies as he comes up from behind the younger man and wraps his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. He reaches out and takes some of the salt and sprinkles it over their shoulders. “It _is_ only one night.”

Sensing no real need to worry about the other man, Aaron just lets himself be held. Yet _another_ perk of married life.

:::::

 

“Are you sure about this?” Aaron asks again, checking in before they both get in the car to head off on what will be the first leg of their summer vacation.

“ _Yes_ ,” Robert answers, head down as he types into his phone. “Now let’s go before it gets too dark.”

Aaron sighs and gets into the driver’s seat. 

:::::

 

They pass the sign marker signifying their arrival — a thin wooden post painted green, with the words “Shades of Death” lettered in white — three hours later and Liv insists on all of them taking a photo with it.

Aaron keeps a watchful eye on Robert, but he's relieved to see no visible reaction to the landmark as they all band together and take a group selfie, each of them careful to avoid touching the greased-up wood. And while that does put his mind at ease somewhat, he can’t help but feel the slightest hint of worry as Robert turns back and knocks on the post three times. 

:::::

 

Eventually, they pull over at the mini-campsite that’s been set up on the side of the long stretch of road, no doubt intended for hungry horror-enthusiasts like themselves. Liv and Gerry need no telling to get out of the car and unpack, both of them already keyed up for this vacation to begin with. Aaron’s about to join the bickering duo, but he pauses when he sees Robert’s face. All his previous worries come rushing back. 

Thinking fast, he lowers the window and pokes his head out. “Why don’t you two go gather some wood so we can get a fire going before we set up our tents?”

The idea goes over well, and both Liv and Gerry set off towards the nearest patch of woods, still arguing amongst themselves. 

“Be careful!” he calls out after them before bringing his head back inside.

He then turns his attention to Robert, who’s now white as a sheet and just staring dead ahead. Aaron reaches over and threads his fingers through his husband’s. He squeezes gently.

“This was a bad idea,” the blonde whispers, fear laced into his voice. “We should go. Aaron we _need_ to get out of here.”

This drastic shift in his mood is startling.

“I just sent Liv and Gerry off to get firewood. We can’t just drive off right now,” Aaron reasons, his voice calm and reassuring. “Robert. Tell me what’s wrong. Why do we need to leave?”

“Because…” Robert looks away, out of the window. 

“Because _what_?” Aaron’s worry level is rising, but all he can do is squeeze his husband’s hand and let him know that he’s here for him.

“Because I can’t _lose you_ , okay?”

The words wash over him as Robert finally turns to look at him. The younger man is surprised to see tears in his eyes and his chin wobbling ever so slightly.

“Hey… Hey…” he says, his right hand switching in to take Robert’s hand while his left goes up to cup his face. “You keep saying that, but you’re not gonna lose me. Not yet anyway. Where is this coming from?” 

The question makes Robert distraught all over again.

“Because I made a deal. So if anything happens to _you_ , it’s _all_ my fault.”

Aaron takes a breath and calmly asks, “Robert, what deal?”

Robert doesn’t answer for a while. Just sits there, breathing in and out, leaning his face into the warmth of his husband’s palm ever so lightly. And as uncomfortable as the position is, Aaron finds that he wouldn’t mind staying in it for as long as the older man needs.

A few minutes later, it would seem like Robert’s finally calmed down, because he says, “I didn’t _always_ believe. In all this.”

He holds up Sarah’s rabbit’s foot keychain in his left hand.

Aaron nods, trying to follow along with this weird change of subject. “Alright. So when did you start?”

“After the accident,” Robert tells him, looking him in the eye as he squeezes Aaron’s hand. “When I almost lost you. I’d gone back to the lake, to get the rings, and then I remembered…”

“Remembered what?”

They rarely talked about that day, when the water had come flooding into the car and Aaron’s entire being had been filled with nothing but fear — fear that he’d never get to tell Robert that yes, he _would_ marry him (even if he’d insist the older man do a better job of asking him), that they’d never kiss, or meet their kids (a boy and a girl), or adopt their dogs (two mutts, to keep each other company), or come up with more inside jokes and celebrate anniversaries that stretch _well_ into double digits. He’d seen a whole almost-lifetime flash before his eyes and he’d wanted nothing but _more_ than it had seemed at the time.

And now, it would appear that Robert had been — and still was — consumed by all those fears as well.

“My mum, she used to tell us this story about how if you went to a crossroads on the night of a full moon, you can ask the Keeper of the Crossroads for anything you wish, and they’d have to grant it,” the blonde explains, a faraway look in his eye. “So I did.”

“What?” Aaron asks, his voice tight, at the strange turn this story seems to have taken. “You went to some crossroad and asked some kind of spirit to save _my_ life on the night of a full moon?”

Robert’s only half listening because he says, “It wasn’t night yet. But I kept on begging. She must have gotten sick of it because she finally appeared and asked what I wanted. So I told her… _You_. Back. Alive.”

“And what did she ask for?”

If there's one thing he's learned from all of Robert's little superstitions, it's that  _any_ supernatural gift given  _must_ be paid for in full — and that’s what his husband’s been doing all this time. Trying to pay off any interest that might have come with it. Suddenly all the crazy-making behaviour makes sense. 

Robert squeezes his hand.

“Robert. What did she _ask for_?”

It’s the steel in his voice that finally gets the other man to answer.

“A memory of someone I love, for a lifetime with the man I love.”

And just like that, Aaron’s heart breaks. Because he knows, he _knows_ , just how big of a thing Robert has given up for him.

“I’m not worth that. You barely remember her as it is,” he whispers, touched and awed by the man sitting next to him.

“Yeah, but she would have told me I should,” Robert says, looking at him now. “Because _you_ are worth it.”

And then he smiles ruefully, “Besides. Can’t miss what you can’t remember.”

Aaron doesn’t know what to say so he just leans forward and kisses Robert with everything he has. 

:::::

 

The confession seems to have done the trick, because suddenly it’s like Robert’s a free man — or at least a lot more like who he’d been before the accident almost two and a half years ago. His anxieties regarding Aaron’s possible supernatural demise seem to have melted away somewhat and he’s able to exit the car and start unpacking it. (Of course not before giving Aaron another, _smaller_ kiss.)

But Aaron remains sat in the car, still playing over the story he’s just heard in his head. It takes him a few minutes, before he’s done and getting out of the car, his decision made.

Liv and Gerry are back now, still arguing among themselves — this time about who can build their tent the fastest — with Robert doing his best not to get roped in as an arbitrator. Noticing the younger man’s eyes on him, he looks up and gives him a small and happy smile, that Aaron finds himself returning, even though he can’t seem to find the same sort of warmth within himself.

“You gonna help out or just keep staring at your _husband_?” Only Liv would be able to turn their still relatively new titles into a jab.

“Not his fault he married someone this handsome,” Robert quips back as the teen rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, it’s not like we handsome people can help how we affect others,” Gerry chimes in with all the confidence in the world. 

Aaron watches as Liv and Robert share incredulous smiles before she swats at the older boy. “You’re such a muppet sometimes.”

“Actually, think I may be comin’ down with somethin’, so I’m gonna take a bit of a walk,” he looks at Robert as he says that. “Clear my head a bit and all.”

The blonde comes up to him and murmurs, “If it’s about what I said earlier-”

“No,” Aaron reassures him. “The air’s just a bit damp and I don’t want to ruin our holiday with my snifflin’ and sneezin’. That’s _all_.”

The look the older man gives him reminds him of just how well they can see through each other’s lies. But to his relief, Robert simply nods, accepting this reasoning as he walks over to him.

“Hurry back,” he whispers before leaning in to kiss Aaron. “And, you know, take care.”

The younger man fishes out the medallion he’s been wearing since Robert’s warning in the car.

“Always do.” 

:::::

 

He returns a half an hour later to three pitched tents and a roaring fire. Some of the inexplicable mist that has been trailing them the entire day has faded away, and there’s still plenty of light left as the day transitions into dusk. Nonetheless, the shadows are already stretching out, nice and long.

“There you are!” Gerry calls out, the first to spot him. “We was just gonna come searchin’ for ya.”

“Or _we_ were,” Liv corrects him. “Didn’t want _you_ gettin’ lost as well.”

“All I said was that ‘Wasn’t it funny how trees all look the same?’” Gerry attempts to argue his point. “It’s called observational _comedy_.”

But Aaron’s eyes are just focused on Robert who’s turned back to face him, while still shaking his head at the young boy. The smile on his face stretching wide, crinkling the corners of his eyes. The younger man can _feel_ the warmth radiating from him — as well as an undercurrent of worry.

“Sorry,” Aaron tells him. “Just got a little turned around getting back. Did you know there’s some kind of lake nearby?”

If this news alarms Robert (or goes against any of his numerous superstitions) he doesn’t show it. But Liv and Gerry seem intrigued.

“We could hike up there tomorrow morning,” Liv suggests, now very into the idea of camping. “Build up an appetite before breakfast. Maybe we'll see a ghost.”

“I don’t need to build up _my_ appetite,” Gerry informs them, as if they aren’t all aware. “I’m always hungry.”

Liv swats at him, and they go back to trying to grill sausages over the open flame. Robert pats the spot next to him on the log he’s seated on. Aaron takes him up on his invitation, pressing close to his side, the entire length of their thighs touching while their knees rest together. Predictably, Robert unfolds the rest of what is now their “outdoor blanket” and places it over his husband’s knees.

“How many of these do we own?” Aaron can’t stop himself.

“Enough,” Robert answers with a cheeky smile that falters into nervousness. 

“We’re going to have to talk about your blanket addiction,” Aaron grumbles harmlessly.

“Oh I’m sorry, do you not want to be warm?” The older man goes to pull away the warming fabric. But Aaron clutches the corner with his right hand. “Thought so.”

Aaron kisses him, resting their foreheads together when they're done.  

“I got you something,” Aaron says when they pull apart. He presses his tightly clasped left hand, which he's been keeping shut this  _entire time_ , into Robert’s open one, before slowly opening it and letting a weight transfer from him to his husband. He leaves his hand in place, wrapping his fingers around the other man’s palm and squeezing gently.

Robert’s confusion turns into realisation.

“She used to smell of daisies…”

And then the realisation turns to horror.

“Aaron. You _didn’t_ …”

“You’re not the only one with a secret,” the younger man reveals.

Robert’s brows furrow. “What are _you_ talking about?”

"I'm a Dingle," Aaron explains. "And we Dingles have a few superstitions of our own." 

The blonde just continues to stare at him, gobsmacked by this revelation. 

So Aaron continues, "It weren't a spirit at a crossroad on a full moon, but I made a little deal of my own." 

Finally, Robert manages to speak. “ _When_?”

“On Christmas, after _your_ accident.”

He remembers a dark haired, dark skinned, trenchcoat-wearing woman stepping out of the shadows in an alley, behind the ambulance bay. He remembers the way she’d bent forward to inhale the mixture of his blood and tears, and some still-warm cigarette ashes he held in his palm, an old recipe Faith had once told him would bring forth a being of fire and air, able to help lovers desperate for miracles… He remembers the Corner Witch’s thoughtful stare as he’d demanded Robert’s life be saved, fresh tears streaming freely from his eyes before she reached out to catch one.

The other man is silent for a few more seconds. “But… We were broken up.”

“Yeah, but I still couldn’t stand to lose ya,” Aaron says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but I _kind of_ never stopped lovin’ ya.” 

“But the sacrifice…” Robert argues a moment later.

“There was none. There couldn’t be,” Aaron explains, a smile on his face. “Why do you think I was able to get _that_ back from the Keeper?”

 “I- I don’t get it… It's not even _night_. It's not even a _full moon_.”

"Yeah, but I'm a  _Dingle_. Spirits around these parts tend to listen to us," Aaron says gently, knowing the information will take some time to sink in. "Even the more powerful ones." 

He gives Robert's hand a loving squeeze. “When _you_ made that deal to save my life, you were basically saying you’d give up _anything_ to save me, all because _you_ loved me. When I went to make _my_ deal to save _your_ life, it proved that I loved you just as much and that _I_ was also willing to do anything save _you_. So both our deals just canceled each other out.”

Robert nods as he follows along.

“In some circles, they call that _True Love's Bond_ ,” the younger man reveals with a smile. “And there’s nothin’ more powerful than that… Or so gran tells me anyway. So you never have to worry. They can’t go back on _either_ of our deals. Wouldn’t work. And besides, you're a Dingle now. They wouldn't _dare_.”

He expects Robert to breathe out a sigh of relief, or at least express some disbelief, but instead, he looks up to find the man gazing at him in complete wonder. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t take his breath away a little.

“What…?” Aaron asks, unsure of what brooks this decision.

“You…” Robert says in awe. “Willing to give everything up for _me_.”

“Did you miss the part where you gave up memories of your _dead mother_ for me?” The younger man retorts in disbelief, his cheeks turning pink. “Pretty sure _you_ made the bigger sacrifice.”

“ _I_ didn’t have a choice,” Robert says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“And you think _I_ did?!” Aaron fires back.

It takes barely a second for this brief stalemate to devolve into chuckles. Robert leans forward and kisses Aaron. They don’t wait to start deepening it, already having said everything they need to.

“Ugh. Get a room you two,” Liv groans from across the fire.

“Or a tent!” Gerry offers helpfully, earning him another smack on the arm from Liv.

“Are you going to be _this_ loved up the entire holiday? You do know it’s not your honeymoon right?”

“Hear that Aaron,” Robert finally responds, his eyes still on Aaron’s thoroughly kissed face. “Sounds like Liv might actually want to _spend time with us_.”

Aaron grins. “I think that means we might _finally_ be cool enough for her.”

Liv makes a face. “Yeah… No. I changed my mind about that. I think I’ll just go to the beach with Gerry instead.”

“Wait. I thought you were going to go with me anyway,” Gerry protests, what Liv's said just sinking in.

As Liv continues to wind the older boy up, Robert leans in towards Aaron and whispers, “So… True Love. Reckon that’s something that needs to be celebrated…”

“And what were you thinkin’?” The younger man asks, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Well… We _are_ surrounded by a lot of _trees_ …” Robert points out helpfully. He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. 

Aaron finds himself getting excited at the prospect. Not for the first time he’s grateful for one of Robert’s ridiculous blankets.

“Fancy takin’ a stroll with me, _Mr. Dingle_?” He asks loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Think you mean _Sugden-_ Dingle,” Robert corrects him, answering just as loudly. “And I’d be _delighted_ to.”

“But _Aaron_ just got back from a walk,” Liv points out.

“Thought you decided you didn’t want to hang out with us,” Aaron teases. "Something about Gerry and the beach?" 

“I meant when we get to Blackpool,” she replies exasperated, like neither of them had understood what she’d meant.

“Well, this one’s going to be shorter,” Aaron states, but then Robert quickly elbows him in the side and he adds, “Or it might take the same time.”

“Um… Yeah,” Robert says, clearing his throat. “It’s a lot darker now. Might get lost.”

Liv just shakes her head and makes a face. “Alright just go. Better _there_ than _here_.”

“Have fun!” Gerry wishes them, earning an audible groan from Liv.

“ _What_?” he whispers as she makes a face at him.

Aaron holds the blanket to him, folding it as they stand up, both men buzzing with an excited energy — equal parts relief, joy, and sexual anticipation. He lets Robert lead him by the hand into the nearest gathering of trees, only to have the older man stop in his tracks.

He watches as Robert lets go of his hand and heads back to the log they were just on, giving it a few knocks, Liv and Gerry barely even clocking the action. Glimpsing Aaron’s confused look as he makes his way back, Robert grins.

“For luck. Don’t want to run into any poison ivy do we?”

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt I received requested that this be an AU where Robert is extremely superstitious and afraid of the supernatural despite being a horror movie buff. (Of course, Aaron doesn't believe in all that stuff.) But when Robert takes Aaron to the world's most boring dinner party, he offers to make up for it by taking him camping. Only the campsite he picks happens to be a very famous haunted road in New Jersey, and Robert winds up being too scared to get out of the car. 
> 
> Considering the complexity of the prompt (which I really enjoyed writing), I took some liberties with the requests — like relocating Shades of Death Road closer to the village. (Though all the superstitions I used are very real.) I also added a supernatural dimension because I wanted to earn Robert's being that superstitious and because for some reason my brain decided that this tiny family can't go too long just being happy and domestic, there had to be some angst thrown in. Also, I just like the idea of an old family like the Dingles having some magical blood in them. (Would explain why Zak is so damn attached to Wishing Well Cottage, too. And all the Biblical names.) I just hope I did the prompt justice since it’s my first time really writing per someone else’s requests.
> 
> Also, I hope that little twist with Aaron having made his own deal, came as a (believable) surprise and that I didn't just quickly move on from both men's reveals. (It feels a titch speedy, but I'm too sick to give this another rewrite.) 
> 
> As always, leave me all your thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns. And if you want, you can find me over on Tumblr under rustandruin. Happy Reading!


End file.
